Fermenting-vat



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S. MONG 8: J. COPE.

FERMENTING VAT. N0. 308;688. Patented Dec. 2, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Urricn,

SAMUEL llIONG AND JOSIAH COPE, OF CHURCH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FERMENTlNG-VAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,688, dated December 2, 1884.

Application filed August 12, 1884.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SAMUEL Mono and JOSIAH Corn, citizens of the United States, residing at Church, in the county of Clarion and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fermenting- Vats, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawlugs.

This invention relates to vats for the fermentation of wine, cider, and the like, and it has for its obj ect to provideimproved means which will exclude air from the cask during fermentation, and yet allow the escape of the gases.

To this end the said invention consists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of our improved fermenting- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the cask or barrel in which the wine or cider is placed to be fermented, said barrel or cask having a circular partition, B, at its upper end, forming a small compartment or chamber, M, a hole, 0, being made in the partition to allow the accumulation of gases in said chamber.

In the head D of the barrel or cask is formed an opening, E, on a line with the opening 0 of the partition B, and in this opening Eis fitted the lower end of a pipe, F, having its sides bulged outward at the upper end, and provided with a central passage, Gr. Slanting holes H H are formed in the bulged sides of the pipe F, to receive the ends of inclined branch pipes I I, which communicate with the passage G of the main pipe, so that the gases which escape from the barrel or cask through the passage G will find an outlet through the branch pipes. The upper, end of the passage G is closed by a plug or cap, J, and an automatically-operating conical valve K is located within the passage below the inlet ends of the (No model.)

I a certain point the valve will be raised to allow the passage of the same outward through the branch pipes, the valve immediately closing down in its seat, so as to prevent the ad mission of air to the cask or barrel.

The operation of on r invention will be readi' ly understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the annexed drawings. The cask or barrel A is filled with wine or cider until it entirely occupies the space within the barrel below the partition B. As the liquid begins to ferment, the froth and gases of fermentation escape through the opening 0 ofthe partition and fill the chamber M, and then work up into the passage G of the main pipe, raise the conical Valve, and finally pass outward through the branch pipes I I. As the ends of the latter are submerged in the fluid contained in the cups or buckets N N, the gases which escape through the branch pipes will first pass through this fluid in the cups and then work outward. By reason of this construction the ends of the branch pipes will be provided with a seal or trap to prevent the admission of air, and yet readily allow the escape of the gases of fermentation. By means of the automatically-operating conical valve in the main .pipe the gases will be only allowed to escape when the pressure of the same is greater than the outside air, so that should any air be in the main or branch pipes it will be forced outward by the passage of the gases. The cups or buckets are to be partly filled with water or other liquids, in which the ends of the branch pipes are submerged, for the purpose hereinbefore described. The partition in the top of the cask or barrel forms a chamber for the accumulation of the froth and gases of fermentation, and also divides the wine or cider from this waste matter.

The devices described will act to take off the impurities from the wine and cider and prevent the fermenting material from souring. It will produce a superior article of wine, both in taste and quality, and has many other advantages not necessary to mention here.

.Having described our invention, we claim 1. As an improvement in fermenting-vats, the combination, with the cask or barrel having a chamber or compartment formed in its upper end for the accumulation of the gases of fermentation, of a pipe communicating with said chamber or compartment, branch pipes connecting with the main pipe, and an automatically -operatin g valve arranged in the main pipe, for the purpose set forth.

2. As an improvement in fermenting-vats, the combination, with the cask or barrel having an opening therein, of a pipe fitted to said opening, and having an automatically-operating valve arranged therein, a branch pipe or pipes connecting with the main pipe above the valve, and a cup or bucket filled with liquid, in which the ends of the branch pipes are submerged, for the purpose set forth.

3. As an improvement in fermenting-vats, the combination, with the cask or barrel having apartition arranged atits upper end, forming a chamber or compartment for the accumulation of the gases of fermentation above the Wine or cider, and an opening in the bar rel communicating with the chamber or compartment, of a pipe fitted in the opening, a passage formed in the pipe, branch pipes communicatin g with the passage, an automaticallyacting valve located in the passage below the branch pipes, and cups or other vessels filled with liquid, in which the ends of the branch pipes are submerged, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL MONG. JOSIAH COPE. Vitnesses:

EDWARD G. Smears, THEo. MUNGEN. 

